Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126481
Schedule of Events Saturday 8:00 am - 12:00 noon _ '.' Practice, alternating classes 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Superbike TImed Practice 1:00 - 1:45 1:55 - 2:40 _. Formula 1 Timed Practice 3:00 - 3:45 _. _. Superbike Final 126 laps/49.4 miles) Two Expert Lightweight Heats IS laps/9.5 miles) 4:00 Two Novice Heats ISlaps/9.5 miles) One Sidecar Heat ISlaps/9.5 miles) o 00 0') r-4 Sunday 9:00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Novice practice 9:20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expert Lightweight practice 10:00 __ Formula 1 practice 10:20 _ Sidecar practice Opening Ceremonies 11:00 11:15 - 11:50 . . . . . . . . . . Expert Lighweight Final 126Iaps/49.4 miles) 12:00 - 1:00 Lunch 1:00 -1:40 Iapprox.l. . 1st segment Formula 1 133 laps, 1ookm/62.7 mi.) 2:00 - 2:30 lapprox.) Novice Final 1211aps/4O miles) 2:45 - 3:45 [approx.I. 2nd segment Formula 1 133 laps, 1OOkm/62.7 mi.) Sidecar Final 110 laps/19 miles) 3:45 - 4:00 lapprox.) Ron Pierce demonstrates one of the spectacular turn nine wheelies. ._-- - ---- LagunaSeca .................6--1'-...".. A quick look at a prime bash By Dale Brown The weekend West Coast road racing afficianados have been waiting for all year is just around the.corner. The August 2-3 Laguna Seca Champion Spark Plug 200km is the only AMA /Winston Pro Series road ra ce National . west of the Mississippi . And frank ly. it looks like it's gonna be dynamite. And for some very good reasons . . Two -time World 500cc Road Racing champion Kenny Roberts will be on hand, pitting his new 500cc Yamaha against the Formula One crowd. KR admitted in an interview that appears in this issue tha t he 's goi ng to be giving quite a bit to the competition on the uphill sections. Bu t that ought to make spectating on the downhill section of th e co urse, turns six through nine, superb . Rob erts' competition will include Ric h Schlac hter , winner of two road race Nationals this yea r on his TZ750 , a nd Wes Cooley, who rod e the Yoshim ura Suzuki to the first four-stroke win in years at Road America . Sat urda y's major race is the Su perbike event, scheduled to sta rt at 3 p .m . It's been a wide open series to date , with Team Kawasaki's Ed die Lawson posti ng two wi ns and arriving a t Laguna Se ca in the p oints lea d . Honda's Freddie Spencer a lso has a pair of wins , and Wes Cool ey too k one ra ce on the Vet ter/Yoshim ura Suzuki. All are in Japan as this is bei ng written, contesting the Su zuka Eig ht H our En durance race, but barri ng any mishaps there, all will be a t Laguna. Along wit h Honda's R on Pierce and Kawa saki's Dave Aldana, they should provide a fine show . Superbike racing has traditionally resisted one rider domination as much as Joan Claybrook has re sisted common sense. Ru n n ing along with the Formula One feature on Sunday's schedule will be the Expert Lightweight , Novice and Sidecar races. There have been some doozies among these classes in the past, such as the memorable Gregg Hansford/Gary Nixon duel in the '77 Lightweight event. The prime section of the race track for spectating is the last part , turns six th rough nine. T um six is the infamous Corkscrew, a devilish affair where the course crests a hill with a downhill left followed immediately by an ' offcamber right. That leads dow n to seven and eight , a pair of fast, sweeping downhill corners. Nine is a slow , 90 degree left hander where, especial ly in the Formula One and Superbike classes, riders will loft the front wheel and carry it halfway down the next straight. Be prepared to move about a bit; you'll miss a lot just staying in one spot. If you want to camp out for the weekend , Laguna Seca has a campground comp lete with restrooms and showers. Weekend camping permits cost $14 ; Saturday only permi ts are $7. The raceway will open to ca mpers on Friday, August 1 at 6 p.m. and rema in open that night until m idnight. O ne othe r neat th ing a bo ut th is race is its loca tion ; the Monterey Peninsu la . J ust a stone's t hro waway are such a ttractions as Mo nterey's Fisherman's Wha rf, the legendary Cannery Ro w and the scenic Sevent ee n Mile Dr ive , south of Pacific Grove . See if you can talk your boss ou t of an extra day off a nd come up early, or stay late. For more information on the race, contact the Sports Ca r Racing Associa tion of Monterey Peninsula at 408 /372 -1516. For more info on Monterey area attractions, co n ta ct the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce at 408 /649 -3200 . • f 23